Third Time's A Charm
by linesfade
Summary: Here it is...the return of Conchobar...as *I* see it...hehehe...It's Pez/Conchobar in later chapters...CHAPTER 7 IS HERE!
1. Prologue

SUMMARY: DUM-DE-DUM! The LONG-awaited Conchobar return...as *I* see it...*BIG EVIL GRIN!*  
  
DISCLAIMER: Everything I've said before applies here. TNT & Top Cow...Not Mine...  
  
Spoilers: Up To "VERITAS"  
  
  
**Third Time's A Charm**  
*Prologue*  
  
"Lady Sara..."  
  
Sara looked up, wide-eyed from her paperwork to see Ian Nottingham standing discreetly at the foot of her bed.  
  
"JESUS, NOTTINGHAM!" She screamed. "I COULD HAVE KILLED YOU!" Ian's eyes grew wide at the sight of the Witchblade in gauntlet form on her wrist, and then contracted to normal size almost immediately.  
  
"I know this, Lady Sara. But I came to warn you."  
  
Sara turned her eyes back to the newest case, evidence spread about the width of her bed in piles, and others in separate appointed places.  
  
"About what Nottingham?"  
  
Ian inwardly sighed. She was going to ignore him again. "Sara, PLEASE, I beg of you. LISTEN TO ME!" He slammed his hand upon the trunk at the foot of her bed and she looked up, annoyed.  
  
"WHAT?!"   
  
"Sara, you must leave town. Someone...something...has located your presence."  
  
"And this 'something' is what?"  
  
"A very powerful force bent on taking that," he pointed to the Witchblade that had already retracted back into its bracelet facade. "Away from you."  
  
"And that powerful force is...?"  
  
"I cannot tell...Lady Sara..." Ian hung his head. Obviously by his demeanor he wasn't telling something, and Sara was bound and determined to find out.  
  
"Dammit, Nottingham! WHY do you insist on doing this to me? You tell me somethin' and then you leave me hangin'! What are you trying to tell me?!"  
  
Ian responded with silence. He took one long look at Sara, and then he turned and did something very uncharacteristic. He walked out the front door. 


	2. Chapter One

One  
  
  
Ian stalked around the interior of what was once Kenneth Irons' mansion, talking to the fire.  
  
"Father...I don't want to harm her..."  
  
"I know, young Nottingham, but harm her you must."  
  
"I cannot."  
  
"DO NOT BE INSOLENT, CHILD!" Came Kenneth Irons' striking voice. Ian blanched, but otherwise did not move from his position by the hearth.   
  
"I am NOT being insolent Father! I am being nothing more than what you made me to be! I am her Guardian! I will NOT be the one to take her life!"  
  
The flickering image of Kenneth's face distorted with his visable anger. "IAN! Do NOT disobey me!"  
  
"I do not disobey you, Father...I disobey your spirit...Your prying ways always dug underneath my skin. It always grated on my nerves...and now that I have the chance to be free of you without fear of the repercussions...I shall be free. And I shall accompany her in whatever risks she may take, necessary or unneccesary. Now be gone, Father. I must think..."  
  
Irons gave a frustrated cry as his visage disappeared into the smoke in the oversized fireplace and Ian Nottingham took his place in the chair before the flames, next to the table which supported his former master's hand, suspended in some sort of preserving liquid...  
  
*****  
  
*NEXT DAY*  
  
"Hey, Pez. Rough night?" Jake McCartey inquired as a sleepy Sara Pezzini barged into the door to the office.   
  
"Very. Got a visitor last night that I wasn't too happy to see..." She replied  
  
"Ooh...a visitor, huh?" Came a feminine voice from the doorway. Pez looked up to see Vicki Po blocking the doorway.  
  
"Hey Vick...whatcha got for me?"  
  
Vicki nodded. "Okay." she plopped a set of photos on the desk in front of Pez and Jake leaned in intently. Pez rifled through them, taking in every detail she could see of the crime scene. "Victim, James Sehon. Age, thirty-one. No known relatives at this time, EXCEPT, for a daughter in Pennsylvania. She's on her way here as we speak."  
  
"So...how'd he die, Vick?"  
  
"I'm gettin there, that's the best part..." Sara looked up from the pictures and gazed at her friend worriedly before turning back to them and staring intently once more. "He was stabbed to death."  
  
Sara held up a picture and wagged it slightly in front of Vicki's face. "Duh, Vick. I can see that. Give me the details."  
  
Vicki chuckled. "All right. The thing is, he was run COMPLETELY through with some sort of a double-edged sword."  
  
Pez waited for the coroner to go on. When she didn't, Pez looked up at her again and noted the undecided look on her face. "Vick...? what's the kicker?"  
  
Vicki was startled out of her daydream.  
  
"You all right, Vicki?" Sara watched her friend intently.  
  
"Yeah. Uh...the kicker, Pez, is that...I couldn't even get a solid carbon dating on the bits of iron left in the guys chest..."  
  
"So...that means it's old?"  
  
"If I had to guess, yeah. VERY OLD. The marks went WAY off the charts, Pez. Be careful on this one, all right? I've got a bad feeling about it."  
  
Pez squinted at her friend and then nodded. "Okay, Vick. I will. Promise."  
  
Vicki nodded in return as she backed out of the doorway. "Okay then. I'd best be getting back downstairs."  
  
"Well, I've got an idea on who to talk to first..." Pez stated, standing up from where she had been sitting. She grabbed her her leather jacket and shouldered it before grabbing her motorcycle helmet.   
  
"I'll walk you to the front door, Pez."Vicki shrugged. "I don't have anything better to do."   
  
"Oh, okay...Vick..." she turned back to Jake. "McCartey, You seen Danny this morning?"  
  
"No, but...uh, he did call...said he'd be in late." Jake smirked. Pez shook her head.  
  
"All right. Have him call me on my cell when he gets in."  
  
"Deal, Partner." Jake sat back down in his chair dejectedly and Pez sighed.  
  
"Hey, Pez..." Vicki whispered once she and Sara were outside the doors of the precinct.  
  
"Yea, Vick?"  
  
"Your visitor...anyone I know?" she lifted an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh yeah. You remember tall, dark, and *PSYCHO*, right?"  
  
"Walks through walls?"  
  
"That's him!"  
  
"Ah...go Pez!" Vicki grinned evilly. "Hey, Sara. Next time you see him, you tell him to pay ME a visit, OK?"  
  
Sara chuckled.  
  
"Your funeral, Vick!" Vicki laughed in reply and gave Pez a wave as she walked back into the building. Sara pulled her helmet over her head, mounted her Buell, and sped away towards Vorschlag Industries. It was time to pay a visit to Ian Nottingham... 


	3. Chapter Two

Two  
  
Sara pulled out her badge once she walked up to the receptionist's desk at Vorschlag.  
  
"Hi. I'm detective Sara Pezzini. I need to speak with Ian Nottingham in regards to a recent murder. Do you happen to know where he might be?"  
  
"Of course. He's down the hall, first door to your left."  
  
"Thank you." Sara nodded to the receptionist.  
  
"Oh! Detective!" Sara turned.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Good luck in trying to talk to him though."  
  
Sara turned and walked back to the receptionist. "Why is that?"  
  
"Well, for starters, he's shut out all of us that work here, all he wants to do is stare into that damned fire..."  
  
"Really?" Sara mused.  
  
"Yeah. Secondly, he's turned off the intercom into the foyer room. And if he hasn't he's not answering..."  
  
"Interesting...thank you, miss..."  
  
"Evelyn...Evelyn O'Connor."  
  
Sara shook the receptionist's hand. "Nice to meet you. Now. Is there anything you would like me to tell, Nottingham for you?"  
  
*****  
  
Ian was half asleep when the sliding doors were ripped open. He whirled and saw a very pissed off Sara Pezzini, hands on her hips, Witchblade in full- gauntlet form.  
  
"Lady Sara..." Ian moved to stand, but found himself cut off when she crossed the distance between them with superhuman speed and held him down in the chair by the offending gauntlet.  
  
"Cut the crap, Nottingham."  
  
Ian nodded...or as much as possible considering the Witchblade was threatening to strangle him to death.  
  
"I'm here, because of a murder. Know anyone that I may be talking about?"  
  
"Would you be referring to the excommunicated Monsigneur James Sehon, perhaps?" Ian struggled for breath and Sara relaxed her grip on the Black Dragon's throat. The gauntlet retracted into bracelet form and she moved to sit on the edge of the chair next to Ian. "Please, Sara." Ian jumped up quickly and ushered Sara into the plush surface of the chair.  
  
She took a seat and gazed at him inquiringly. "Excommunicated? What do you mean by that?"  
  
Ian nodded. "The Monsigneur was excommunicated some, six years ago for the information he held about the Witchblade. He made the mistake of making mention of it in one of his sermons. The following day, he was excommunicated by the pope himself; charged with heresy."  
  
"Harsh..."  
  
"Not quite. He stated some facts, known only to the Wielder and her Guardian."  
  
"Whoa...Guardian?"  
  
Ian nodded. "The Guardian is one whom resurfaces each time a new, true, wielder is chosen."  
  
Sara was silent for a moment. Ian could tell she was having a vision.  
  
"Lady Sara?"  
  
Sara shook her head as if to clear it, and gazed at Nottingham seriously. "So...Are *you* my Guardian?"  
  
Ian's eyes dropped to the floor. "I...am not at liberty to say, Lady Sara."  
  
Sara let out a disgusted sigh. "Great...Well, when you figure out what EXACTLY you can tell me about this thing...come find me. You'll know where I'll be, I'm sure."  
  
Ian nodded. "If you wish, Lady Sara."  
  
Sara turned to walk out the door, but stopped short. "Oh...Nottingham? Your receptionist has messages for you. She wants you to pick them up *today*." Sara spoke without turning around.  
  
"And..." She trailed off not knowing whether to proceed would be a good idea.  
  
"Lady Sara?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Oh, there is one thing I can tell you...to help you with the inquiry of who your guardian is..." Sara whirled around.  
  
"By all means..."  
  
"Listen to the visions. Watch them carefully. The Guardian is a future lover, one who reappears over and over in those visions. He may not be your present lover, but you will know when you find him."  
  
"A lover, huh?"  
  
Ian nodded.  
  
"All right...Anything else you can tell me about this victim?"  
  
Ian moved to the table beside the brown leather chair that sat before the hearth and picked up a manilla folder.  
  
"This - " Ian motioned to the folder as he handed it to Sara. " - is the Monsigneur's life's work. Read it carefully Sara. You shall see what I mean once you do..."  
  
Sara nodded. "Thanks...Ian..."  
  
There was an awkward silence before Sara turned and walked out the door. As she walked up to the receptionist's desk, she flashed a smile.  
  
"Problem solved. He'll be down here in a few minutes."  
  
"How can you be so sure?" Evelyn asked, amazed that she had gotten through to the former Black Dragon.  
  
"Because...I know Nottingham...he'll be here, trust me." With that, she left Vorschlag Industries.  
  
True to her word, Ian Nottingham was seen a short time after, walking down the hall at a fairly quick pace to retrieve his messages from the receptionist... 


	4. Chapter Three

This chapter is kinda blah...but necessary...bear with me & I'll have another, better, chapter up as soon as possible. I'm gonna have to take off a bit for vacation & so I can finish my summer AP work...but I'll pick up again after that. If I get something up before school starts back...consider it a gift...;)  
  
-Rayvin-  
  
Three  
  
Sara waltzed back into the office and hung her helmet up on the coatrack, followed by her black leather jacket. Sara looked at Jake hopefully as she sat and opened up the folder Nottingham had handed her.  
  
"Any word from Danny?"  
  
"Not...as of yet, but..."  
  
"Hey, Pez! Miss me?" Danny came bounding through the office door and Sara had to stifle a laugh.  
  
"Just gettin' worried about ya, Partner...So what you been up to all morning?" Sara paused and looked up fom her paperwork at the Asian detective. "Or do I want to know?"  
  
Danny put on his serious mask. "Oh, well...I don't know, Pez." He laughed. "Seriouly...there was a witness to our murder. That's what I've been up to all morning. Dante wanted me to cross-reference files on this guy, if there were any. Turns out...he's a rock star..."  
  
Danny plopped the file folder down in front of Sara. She opened the folder and began to search through its contents as Danny continued to speak.  
  
"The guy's from Ireland. Came here several years back. BUT...doesn't say why..."  
  
Pez looked up. "What, Danny? Now the guy needs a motive to come to America?"  
  
Danny shrugged and Pez averted her eyes back to the folder.  
  
"Says he plays in a club twice a week...but it doesn't say where..." Sara spoke aloud to herself.  
  
"John Patrick Doherty..." Jake mused and Sara glanced at him inquiringly.  
  
"Name ring a bell, McCartey?" Jake's eyes widened a bit, and he backed up quickly.  
  
"Nah...just thought I'd run it by my ex...see if she can come up with anything on him..."  
  
"Good idea. Get on it, I'm gonna go pay a visit to Gabriel...see if he knows anything about this guy. Hey Danny? This guy got a stage name?" Pez jumped up and pulled on her coat for the third time that morning.  
  
"Yeah...Conchobar..."  
  
Pez nodded and grabbed the manilla folder Nottingham had given her and her helmet, and raced out the door to her Buell...  
  
*****  
  
Sara pulled up at Talismaniac.com just as Gabriel was walking out the door. Pez yanked off the helmet quickly.  
  
"GABRIEL!" He turned and a grin spread across his face once he saw her. Gabe jogged over to the Buell.  
  
"Hey, Chief. What's goin?"  
  
"You ever hear of a guy named John Patrick Doherty?" She paused and Gabriel shook his head slightly.  
  
"Stage name Conchobar..." Gabriel looked at her sideways.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Gabriel..."  
  
"Okay, okay...he's an alt-Irish rocker...plays at the club Mac Tone used to frequent...Wednesdays and Sundays. Sometimes he'll play on Fridays..." Gabriel mumbled and Sara nodded.  
  
"How can I see him?"  
  
"Gotta have tickets, Chief. I was just about to make a run for a couple. Wanna come along?" Gabe asked hopefully.  
  
Sara sighed. "Yeah, all right...I'll come. When's this concert we're buying tickets for?"  
  
"This Friday. 7:PM."  
  
"Good...the sooner the better." Pez grinned and climbed into the car with Gabriel. Sara was quiet for most of the ride, but once they neared their location, she spoke up. "So...is he any good?"  
  
"Oh, yeah! He's awesome! I love his stuff. Awesome songs." Gabe pulled up in the parking lot adjacent to the aforementioned club and shut off the engine. "I try and go at LEAST twice a month..."  
  
"Really? Twice a month?" Sara laughed and got out of the car.  
  
"Yeah...it's where I met...Nevermind."  
  
"Your girlfriend...?" Sara smirked.  
  
"No...well...yeah..." Gabe shrugged as he shut the door and began the walk up to the front door.  
  
Sara laughed again and then looked up at the sign above the doorway. She read it aloud to herself.  
  
" 'Autograph signing today. Meet...Conchobar...' " Sara grinned.  
  
"SERIOUSLY?! NO WAY!" Gabe jumped out of glee and then turned to face Sara with a shy grin. "Heh...sorry..."  
  
"Big fan, huh?" Gabe just laughed and jogged ahead to the door. Sara gazed at the banner a bit longer and then hurried to catch up with Gabriel. "How much?"  
  
"Fifteen..." Sara nodded and fished around in her pocket. Gabriel noticed and wagged thirty dollars in front of her face. "Don't worry about it, Chief...It's on me..." He said with a grin as he handed the thirty dollars over to the bouncer and was handed two photographs in return. Gabe produced two Sharpies, and handed one of each to Sara. She took the picture and stared into it...when suddenly she was overcome with a vision...  
  
  
  
A man. The man in the picture. Fighting a woman. The woman was her. Yet...it wasn't. Sara watched on as if from a distance as the two circled each other, each throwing loving smiles at the other. Who was this man?  
  
Finally, the man dispatched the woman of her sword. He held his blade tight to her throat. She grinned proudly.  
  
"You have learned well, my King..." The man withdrew his blade and sheathed it in its leather scabbard at his side.  
  
"I have learned from the best, my love." he grinned.  
  
"Now you are able to fight Connemara's battles alone. You no longer need my assistance."  
  
"But I do. Cathain, I beg of you - lead my armies. Lead my armies and I shall make you my Queen."  
  
The woman considered his proposition and finally agreed. "All right. For love...I shall lead your armies and fight at your side always..." She grinned...and the vision disappeared...  
  



	5. Chapter Four

EXTREME shortness here, my muse wouldn't cooperate in helping me to make this as long as I had planned...but...here it is nonetheless. DM & Spin, you called it! Here's four! ;)  
  
Keep those reviews coming! It's the fuel for all fan fictions...but you guys know that by now...  
  
-Rayvin-  
  
Four  
  
"Chief?" Sara shook her head out of the reverie to find herself being hauled along by Gabriel. The two of them were now fifth and sixth in line to meet the famed, yet unsigned musician.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"You all right? You scared me there."  
  
Sara rubbed her temple. "Had a...vision." Sara realized she hadn't ever told Gabriel about her visions...that she'd always beat around the bush about it. But now that she'd let the cat out of the bag, it was too late to take it back now.  
  
"A vision? What about?" Gabe was visibly excited. Sara laughed and raised her head to see her position in line. Fourth.  
  
"A guy..." Sara held up the picture and continued. "And a woman that looked...just like me. A Swordfight...he beat me and offered to make me his Queen..."  
  
"Did the two of you have accents?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Irish?"  
  
"I think so...yeah. Why?"  
  
"Were there names, Sara? Did he call you anything?"  
  
"Yeah...Cathain..."  
  
Gabriel clapped his hands. "RESEARCH PARTY!" All right. After this, I'll get home and start researching Cathain. See if I can find out what her deal was, okay?"  
  
"Thanks, Gabe."  
  
"NEXT!" A second bouncer announced and Gabriel stepped up to the table. Sara looked at the singer and her jaw dropped.  
  
'God, he's gorgeous...' she thought as he signed Gabriel's photograph with a flourish of the Sharpie.  
  
"NEXT!" The bouncer announced again and Sara pulled her badge closer to her belt buckle. She set her picture down on the table.  
  
"Hey..." A deep, voice with a VERY Irish accent hit her ears and he looked up briefly and stared into her emerald green eyes. He took a breath, and acted as if he was going to say something, but then shook his head and bent over to sign the picture. As he handed the picture back to her, he looked up at her once more. "I know you..." He pointed his index finger at her and grinned, leaning upon his elbow on the table.  
  
She shook her head. "Sara Pezzini. NOW you know me..." A brief moment of Deja vu came over her, but she shook it away. She pulled her leather coat to the side to reveal her detective badge. "Detective...Sara Pezzini."  
  
Conchobar sat back in his chair. "And I suppose you want to ask me some questions..."  
  
"I do. What time is this signing over?"  
  
"Four-Thirty. But I'll be here until five."  
  
Sara nodded. "See you at five, then."  
  
Conchobar grinned and the bouncer pulled her along.  
  
"So, Chief...get what you needed?"  
  
"Not yet..." Sara replied, glancing back at the musician. "But I will..." 


	6. Chapter Five

***** = time break  
  
** = POV change  
  
*****If you hate spoilers, don't read the author's note!!!*****  
  
Seeing as how Conchobar is coming back next week. *jumps up & down out of sheer glee* and we get to see more of the f'n sexy-as-hell Aussie Kim De Lury...*jumps up & down again* Here's chapter 5! ENJOY! ;)  
  
*****Oh - and for those of you who hate spoilers...you can read now! ;)*****  
  
Five  
  
Sara and Gabriel rode back to the young entrepreneur's place of business in silence. Sara had snuck over to the table where a woman was selling tickets to Conchobar's upcoming show and bought one for herself while Gabriel ran out to start the car. She just hoped that for thirty bucks, his show was worth it, otherwise she'd have to bust him for...something. She smiled to herself as a faint voice ran through her head.  
  
"A man could have dreams of bein' arrested by the likes of you...the handcuffs...assume the position..."  
  
"Yeah, right..." Sara whispered to herself.  
  
"What's that, Chief?" Gabriel turned his head to his friend as he pulled into the parking lot of his building.  
  
"Huh? Oh. Nothing..."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yeah, it's nothing. I'm fine." Sara replied as Gabriel shut off the car.  
  
"Visions again, Pez?"  
  
Sara nodded absently. "Kinda."  
  
"Kinda?" Gabriel cocked his head. "What do you mean, 'Kinda'?"  
  
Sara walked over to where she had left her Buell before leaving for the club and placed her helmet on her head. The homicide detective shrugged.  
  
"Aww...Pez..."  
  
"Later, Gabe." Sara gave Gabriel a wave and then fired up the bike before speeding back to her apartment. If she was going to question this guy, she was gonna do it right...in tight leather pants and a very defining shirt...  
  
*****  
  
Sara pulled out of the praking lot beneath her loft at 4:23. Sara knew it only took her ten minutes to arrive at the club, but she wanted to be early. She had her...reasons. She grinned evilly to herself as she traversed the New York City streets, lost amidst thoughts of the gorgeous Irish rocker. She pulled up in the parking lot to the club twenty minutes early. She smiled as she pulled off her helmet and shut off the engine to the motorcycle. Sara hooked the raven black helmet onto her arm and strode purposefully toward the front door.  
  
"Hey!" Sara looked up at the bouncer, a huge black man that appeared to be able to bench press four hundred pounds. "Didn't I see you earlier?"  
  
"Yeah, you probably did..."  
  
"Well, then turn right around and go home, Girly. One autograph per person!"  
  
Pez laughed before pulling out her badge and flashing it to the bouncer. "I'm not here for another autograph. I'm here on business this time."  
  
The man took a step back. "Oh, so you are. Go on then."  
  
Sara grinned to herself and stepped past him into the dark building and quickly scanned the table Conchobar had been at earlier. She grinned when she found him and watched as he finished signing the picture set out on the table before him. Once that task was completed, the girl at the table picked up the photograph, and hugged it to her chest tightly. Sara grinned at the girl's reaction and then turned her eyes back to the table, suddenly finding herself being watched by the local rock star. He smiled and nodded at her, and she returned the favor, her stomach fluttering around.  
  
'Jeez, Pez. He's a witness! Rule number one, Detective : don't get involved. NEVER get involved,' she kept telling herself over and over again as Conchobar averted his eyes to the table to sign yet another autograph. Sara glanced behind her to find a table. She took a seat, laying her helmet down before her and turning back to watch her witness intently. She relaxed and was soon entranced by this man she had only met hours before, yet whom had her under his spell like none had ever done before. Not even had Daniel Germaine had this effect on her. Who was this man? And why was he in her vision earlier? Sara grew so involved in analyzing this last vision that she didn't even notice how Conchobar stared at her between autographs, and how a smile never left his face...  
  
**  
  
'Gorgeous...just plain gorgeous!' Conchobar thought to himself as he signed picture after picture. When he met the Detective earlier that morning, he knew that he'd known her before...somehow. But he had no clue where, or when...He knew that he'd have to find out. Maybe sing to her a bit...Would that really work with a cop like her? He guessed he'd have to find that out too.  
  
"Conchobar - " the bouncer behind him leaned down and spoke in a whisper. "Fifteen minutes."  
  
The singer nodded as he finished signing the picture before him and a blonde girl picked up the picture and hugged it tightly to her chest, mumbling something about how 'hot' and 'great' he was as she reluctantly walked off. "Doors closing yet, Jim?"  
  
"Of course." The second bouncer grinned and motioned to the bouncer at the front to close the doors. The bigger of the two stepped outside the door and yanked down the tarp-like banner, rolled it up, and tossed it inside before shutting the doors. "Doors closed, effective immediately."  
  
Conchobar laughed. "Thanks, mate." Jim nodded and turned back to his post. The singer looked up at the line as the next fan advanced and placed his picture down onto the table. Five to go. Everything was going smoothly. Before the signing, Conchobar was worried that something would go wrong, all on account of that murder that he had lain witness to. The murder that he was supposed to be talking to Sara Pezzini about in - he glanced up at the clock after signing the next to last photo - ten minutes. He looked up into the last person's face and suddenly grew fearful. A vengeful look decorated the marble green eyes before him. A hate like he had never seen...except in the eyes of the killer he had encountered a little over two days ago. A panic rose up in Conchobar's throat and the only thing he had time to do was take a breath and call out for help before being pistol- whipped by the butt end of a .44 Magnum... 


	7. Chapter Six

Okay...the putting Conchobar in a coma -- NOT COOL! Put my Kim De Lury in a coma!! And did anyone else cry at the season finale when Pez was at his bedside??? Cause if it was just me...nevermind...  
  
And I SO freaked at the length of The Kiss...you know the one...Gabe&Pez...I was in heaven!  
  
Anyway...here's to my Conchobar waking up next season...and the long-time- MIA chapter 6...Enjoy!  
  
*  
  
Six  
  
"Sara!!" The homicide detective pulled herself out of her daydream as someone shouted out her name. Her head popped up even faster as she realized it was Conchobar. A panic rose in her throat as the Witchblade showed her the hooded man before the singer at the table pull out a .44 Magnum and hit Conchobar over the head.  
  
"Freeze!" Sara drew her own firearm, and held up her right wrist to the offender. The hooded person whirled, and Sara took notice that it was a man. A man with striking blue eyes and high, well-defined cheekbones. As quickly as he had whirled, be bolted right out the door. "Hey!" Sara's shoulders fell and she took off after the assailant.  
  
*  
  
Sara returned thirty minutes later, perp-less and out of breath. She burst through the front doors with renewed vigor to find the rock star sitting at the bar, a pint of Guinness in one hand, and ice pack on his left side of his head being braced by the other.  
  
"Conchobar?" She began, unsure of his momentary state of mind. She sighed when the singer looked back at her.  
  
"D'you catch the bastard?" He glanced at her hopefully, still holding the icepack to his injured head.  
  
"Sorry to disappoint...but I saw his face so...it's a start." Conchobar mumbled something unintelligible and Sara assumed it had something to do with not being able to track his assailant.  
  
"We gonna get this started, or is it gonna have ta' wait? I got a poundin' headache, and an extra show to do this afternoon for those I invited durin' the signin'..." Conchobar locked his green eyes on hers. "Can't we do this later?"  
  
Sara gave a relinquishing sigh. Her new captain was going to kill her. Oh well...tell him to take a number.  
  
"All right. Fine. But on one condition..."  
  
"Anythin'," Conchobar moaned as he took a sip of Guinness and set the ice- cold mug down on the bar.  
  
"Let me come to that show tonight. And my two partners. We'll watch your back while you play, because chances are that guy'll be back to finish off what he started."  
  
"An' to that, ye got yerself a deal, Detective..." Conchobar - despite the pain - gave her the most seductive smile he could manage...and Sara drifted back into the Dream realm the Witchblade was notorious for...  
  
  
  
A scene of herself leading Conchobar into the police precinct for questioning...  
  
Herself and Conchobar kissing on the sidewalk...  
  
Conchobar in her bed, teasing her as she left him to go to work...  
  
Conchobar being kidnapped from her home...  
  
Conchobar dying as she watched...holding him as effectively as she could while he lay on the concrete floor of a warehouse...  
  
  
  
"Sara?" Conchobar spoke a bit forcefully, startling her out of her daydream. "You all right?"  
  
"Huh? Yeah...just zoned..." Sara gave a nervous laugh.  
  
"Here, have a drink..." Conchobar pushed his half-empty mug of beer over to the homicide detective.  
  
Sara moved to take the dark liquid, but pulled her hand back instantly. "Ah...I'd love to but...I'm still on the clock. It's against regulations. Thanks for the offer though." She flashed a sheepish grin and pulled out her cell phone. "I'm gonna give my partners a call and get them out here. What time is your concert?"  
  
"Seven-thirty."  
  
Sara nodded. "I'll be right back."  
  
Conchobar's head bobbed and he watched her walk off into a far corner of the room.  
  
"John..." The singer looked up at the bartender. "Who is that?"  
  
"You mean Sara?"  
  
The bartender nodded and cocked his head, awaiting the singer's answer.  
  
"She's a cop. Gonna provide me some protection tonight..." Conchobar gazed over at the Detective who was talking animatedly on her cell phone.  
  
"That all she's gonna provide you?" The bartender arched an eyebrow.  
  
Conchobar turned his head back to face the bartender achingly slow and shot him a glare so venomous that, if looks could kill, the man behind the bar would be windshield glaze on the nose of a 747.  
  
"All right! Sorry!" The bartender raised his hands in surrender. "Just askin'!"  
  
"You're always 'just askin',' Charlie." Conchobar mumbled into his Guinness as he finished off the pint and Sara made her way back over to the bar.  
  
"All right. Danny and Jake..." Conchobar looked up at her inquiringly. "My partners, will meet us up here at seven."  
  
"US?" Conchobar raised an eyebrow at the detective.  
  
"Yeah...I'm not leaving your side until I'm sure he's not coming back for you."  
  
Conchobar's lips turned up into a sly grin. "You promise, Detective?"  
  
Sara saw the bartender watching the duo closely from her peripheral vision and kept her eyes locked on Conchobar's face at the same time.  
  
"I do..." Sara returned the sly grin and sat down on the barstool next to the singer. It was going to be a long, glorious night...  
  
*  
  
Next time on Witchblade...Conchobar sings! *YIPPEE!!* And who's for Pez & Conchobar again...?? *hint, hint, wink, wink* Stay tuned, and please review! I, once again, apologize for lack of updates. I'm getting as much done at a time as I can...which isn't much. Usually about 5 minutes a sitting...SO not good for my will to write at all costs...But again...I hope you like the chapter...I don't like it too much myself... :\ 


	8. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own _Witchblade_ or any of the characters involved. The plot - and the SnakeMan - belong to me. *eg*   
  
  
The song is "Rock of Ages" by the one and only Grant Lee Buffalo. It's off of the "Mighty Joe Moon" album along with "Demon Called Deception" and "Honey Don't Think" from Season One, and "Happiness" from Season Two. ;) It's a GREAT CD...check it out!   
  
  
**Author's Notes:** Well, I'm sorry it took so long for me to get back with this...I've been WAY busy! Here's chappie seven! Enjoy, and don't forget to R&R!!   
  
  
-Rayvin-   
  
  


**Third Time's A Charm**

_- Seven -_

  
  
  
    The lights dimmed once again as Conchobar took to the stage and picked his guitar. He pulled the shoulder strap over his head and let the acoustic guitar come to rest across his stomach.   
  
  
    "All right. This next one is new...I don't think some of ya have heard it yet, unless ya made it to sound check this mornin'." He gazed at Sara and winked. "Aye, I hope you like it!"   
  
  
    With that, he strummed the guitar and the rest of his band picked up behind him. Shortly, he began to sing. The song was a slow one, and the combination of his deep voice, the Irish accent, and the sparks that flew as Conchobar and Sara matched gazes made the evening a near-perfect one.   
  
  
    If only she wasn't there on business.   
  
  
    _"Rock...of Ages  
    I...am tumbling down  
    Where the roots of trees  
    Embrace you   
    I do fall...upon my knees   
    And ask you how...  
    You can just sit there and be..."
_   
  
  
    That voice. Those eyes. How much better could it get? Probably the better question would be how much worse could it get? Sara sighed and glanced down at the black handheld radio that matched the ones Danny and Jake carried. The radio crackled to life and Jake's voice came over the radio.   
  
  
    "Pez?"   
  
  
    Sara rolled her eyes. The boy _really_ needed to work on his radio skills. "Whatcha got, Rookie?"   
  
  
    "Nothing. A whole lot of nothing. Just checking in."   
  
  
    "Thanks, Jake. Check back in five. Pezzini, out."   
  
  
    The radio went silent and she set the handheld down on the corner of the bar as she felt a slight tap on her shoulder. She shrugged it off at first, but when it happened again, she turned quickly, her gaze filled with venom.   
  
  
    "What?!" She barked, and her gaze softened as she saw a girl, obviously a little tipsy, trying to squeeze in between her and the man on the barstool behind her.   
  
  
    "S..sorry. I just wanted another..." the girl hiccupped. "...brewskie." Sara had to laugh.   
  
  
    "No, I'm sorry." Sara grabbed her radio and scooted forward allowing the girl to get in between herself and the drunk behind her. "Go ahead."   
  
  
    The girl grinned a lopsided, drunken smile. "Thanks, Lady."   
  
  
    Sara nodded. _'Hopefully_ you _won't be driving tonight.'_ She thought as she turned her attention back to Conchobar who was into the third verse by now. The song was a strange one: it didn't quite have a chorus, a bridge maybe, but not an actual chorus. Despite that, Sara was in love with the song. And the singer. Conchobar smiled at her while he continued to sing, and all of the girls in the bar turned around to try to see who it was that the gorgeous Irishman was smiling at. Some of them frowned when they followed his gaze back to a beaming Sara. Pez couldn't care less. She was intently watching the man on stage.   
  
  
    _"Father now I have stepped...  
    Beyond my bounds...  
    Now the pack I wear   
    It weighs a thousand pounds...  
    It drags me down...  
    Makes me think crazy..."
_   
  
  
    Sara felt another tap on her back, much harder than the one before, and she growled within her throat. "Damnit..," she muttered to herself before turning around.   
  
  
    "You _just_ got a beer..." Sara turned to see the perpitrator from the signing, a sardonic grin on his face. His eyes were blue and the maniacal look in them made Sara intensely frightened. On her wrist, the Witchblade buzzed and swirled red angrily, ready to jump into action should the life of her Wielder come into jeopardy.   
  
  
    "Yeah? And if I did?" The man hissed...quite literally. His voice reminded Sara of a snake, and in the flashing of the strobe lights overhead, she had thought she saw a snake in his place. "What _would_ you do...Detective..Pezzini?"   
  
  
    The sound in his voice frightened Sara to her very core, it was almost threatening, and the Witchblade also seemed to slightly shy away from his voice.   
  
  
    "I'd..." Sara began bravely, her voice wavering ever-so-slightly.   
  
  
    "Do nothing. You know as well as I do that you, Detective, are afraid." His face twisted up into an evil, triumphant grin.   
  
  
    "What do I have to be afraid of? _You_?" She glared at the unknown man, as his smile lessened slightly. Suddenly she felt the muzzle of a gun pointing into her hip.   
  
  
    "Perhaps...or perhaps you're afraid of being rejected... " The maniacal grin returned and the man leaned in to whisper in Sara's ear. _"...by the Witchblade."_   
  
  
    "No. The Blade wouldn't reject me." The Witchblade heated up on her wrist, and made Sara wince as the urge to kill the man surfaced. She took in a deep breath and swallowed the bloodlust that rose in her throat. _'Not in public,'_ She thought. _'Not with the Witchblade.'_   
  
  
    "Are you certain? _TRULY_ certain?" He eyed her warily, his eyes suddenly holding an endless amount of wisdom that scared Sara and made her think twice.   
  
  
    Sara was silent for a moment before opening her mouth to speak. "No," she whispered.   
  
  
    "Just as I thought. I will find you again, Sara Pezzini. Beware...next time I may not be so civil."   
  
  
    In a flash, the man disappeared, and Sara was once again in shock. She shook of the encounter for the moment, and turned back to Conchobar as he finished out the song. Hopefully the rest of the night would remain uneventful so that she might replay the event over and over in her head.   
  
  
    What did it mean? And why didn't he kill her? He very well could have...she was under his control. And how did he know about the Witchblade? Sara's thoughts fell away as Conchobar's voice entranced her once again, long into the night...   
  
  
    _"I reach for the rock  
    In the avalanche  
    In the avalanche  
    Heavy rock  
    Heavy rock  
    Such a heavy rock..."
_


End file.
